Filing cabinet



March 4, 1930. T. HEELAN FILING CABINET Filed June 15. 1925 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 7 Patented Mar. 4, 1930 I I UNITED-1 STATES 'rHoMAs PATEN OFFICE A CORPORATION on DELAWARE 1 i FILING CABINET Application filed June 15,1925. Seriat No. 37,174.

My'invent-ion relates in general to' fili'ng I cabinets and in particular to locking means for use in connection with such cabinets.

Itis well knownto those skilled in theart that in locking means at present in card index systems of the overlapping card type, the

' ,lock is usually placed at one sideeof the lower drawerof the cabinet. Such position not only utilizes the space which is desirable for-the display of a label, but it makes this lower jdrawer' a special drawer, and it, therefore, can not be, transferred to another cabinet or to a different position in thecabinet.

Another object of my invention has been to provide acabinet having locking means so arranged that the drawers may all be made.

alike. and may thus be easily transferred from placedbetween cabinet. I 1

3-125 I v V. e

V The aboveobjects and advantages have one'lposition to another, and the entire front surfaces of all the drawers be available for 2o s 1 been accomplished by the device shown in the 'accompanyingdrawings,ofwhich:

tions thereof broken away.

.. F'g. 2 is a perspectlve new; of the tumbler part ofmy device.

-' Fig.;3"s an enlarged, sectional'view of the same taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. 7 Fig. 418 a fragmentary,planv'ew'of my device, taken on line 4'1 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 5 is 'an enlarged, fragmentary, fsectiona1, end elevation offthe same.

My device comprises a tumbler element and lnec'hanisn'i associated therewith for en'gage- I ment with the drawers'ofthe cabinet.

In the drawings 5representsthe cabinet -which' is provided with the usualinterspaced top walls 6 and 7 thus' providing thespace 8. "Thebottom wall of the cabinet is represented at 9. Thecabinet in the drawing shows only two drawers v10, but it is obvious that my invention is applieable to cabinets with nanynumber of drawers.;f,; I

Fig. lshows a side sectional elevation of a filing cabinet embodying my invention, porset forth, I arrange the tumbler element of my locking means in the space '8, between the top Walls 6 and -7. Since my locking means must be made to fit existing cabinet constructions, itis, therefore, necessary that it be of special construction and to this end, the body 11 of the tumbler element is made i of, a flat block of material of a thickness sub- 'stantially equal to the space 8. An aperture 12' is formed in the body 11 for the reception In order to accomplish theobjects herein BEE-LAN, or 'NoR'rHmon wAnnA, new YORK, Assmnon T0 REMINGTON U RAND mo, onnnwyonx, N. Y.',

of the lock cylinder 13 and this aperture ex- 1 tends longitudinally through the body. This cylinder is provided'with a head 14 which rests against the front surface 15 of the body -11. The cylinder is provided with a plurality of lateral apertures in which are disposed pin tumblers 16. The body 11 of the tumbler ele- .ment 1s also provided with a plurality of apertures which register with the apertures in thecylinder 13 and in these are arranged a corresponding number of pins 17 which engage the pin tumblers 16. A helical spring 18 is, provided for each of the pins 16, and a plug 19,- carried by the body 11, is placed behind each of the springs 18 which serve to keep the springs and pins in position. These ,pins 19 maybe driven in or secured by soldering orthey may be in the form of screws, screw-threaded into the body 11. The cylin- -der 13 is provided with a longitudinal slot 20 j for the reception of the key.

Asvis customary in locks of this type, the

pin tumblers 16 are of such lengths that the "joints between them and the pins 17 will registerwith the joint between the cylinder 13 and the body 11 when the proper key is inserted-in the slot 20,,whereby the cylinder maybe rotated and the lock operated.

a The rear end of the lock cylinder 13 extends some distance beyond the rear edge 21 of the body 11, and a thimble 22 is carried thereby. ,An operating rod 23 is carried at its forward end by the thimble 22 and it extends rearwardly through the space 8 ofthe cabinet. in r order that the lock cylinder 13 may be rotated through one complete revolution, so as to withdraw the key both when the cabinet is locked'and unlocked, it is necessary that some I lost motion be provided between the locking;

mechanism at the back of the cabinet and the lock cylinder. Part of this lost motion is provided by the connection between the thimble 22 and the operating rod 23, Apin 24 carried by the rod 23 and it is d sposed in an annular slot 25 formed in the thimble and extending around it for at least 180-.

The operating rod 23 is provided near. ltS rear .end with a bearing 26 which is preterably carried by the top sheet 7 A look bar 27 is slidably carried within the space 8 and it is I connected with a crank 28, carried at the inner end of the operating rod, by means of alink 29. The link 29 has one end ivotal y 011- ,nected with the outer end of the crank 28,

andthe other end of link 29 is provided with a slot 30, which engages with a pin 31 carried by the lock bar 27. The slotted connection of the link with the lock bar provides for ad'- ditional lost motion necessary to permit the one side of the drawer. This lock member is preferably of angle iron cross-section, and it is pivotally mounted in the cabinet-so that when it is oscillated and thus moved to its locking position, the leg 35 thereof will engage with the end of one of the rods33 and lock the same in position. The movement of the lock bar 27 of my device is'imparted to the lock member 34 by means of a link 37' whichhas one end pivotally connected to the leg 36 of the lock member and the other end pivotally connected to the'lock bar 2 7.

' From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that when the key is inserted in the slot 20 of the lock cylinder 13 and the cylinder rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, the pin 24, carried by the end of the operating rod 23, will first be moved by the rotation of the thimble 22 through the slot 25 'oif'the thimble before imparting motion to the rod.

When the thimble 22 has been rotated to a position where the pinQd-will contact with the end of the slot 25, a further rotativemovement of the cylinder will cause the rod torotate and" the attached crank 28 tomove the link- 29; The slot 30 of the link 29 will ride over the pin 31, carried by the lock bar 27, until the end of the slotstrikes the pin, where- -uponthe lock bar will be moved in its guides,

which will cause the oscillation of the lock member 34, whereupon the leg 35 of the lock member will be moved in the path of travel or the end of the rods 33, carried by the drawers and lock them in place; When thedraiwers are to be unlocked, a reverse movement will 'causethe :lock member'34 to beoperatd after the lost motion of the link 29 and thimble 22 are taken up.

herein shown and described may be made without departing fromthe spirlt of my invention,.or the scope ofthe appended claims,

and I do not,'therefore, wish robe limited to the exact embodiment herein contained,the

form shown being merely a preferred form th r o j I claim is:

' 1. A drawer lock for filing devices wherein a cabinet is provided with a plurality of drawers, comprising a lock member movably Obviously some modifications of the details r. I Having thus described my inventlon what mounted in the cabinethavingv locking 'co- ,7

operation with said drawers in one position,

a bar member slidably mounted in saidcabinet,a linkconnectin'g said lockmember and 3 bar member,- an operating rod .r otatably' mounted in the "cabinet, a lost-motion connecting mechanism between'the operatingrod and said .bar member for transmitting the rotary motion of said operating, rod to re ciprocate said bar member, key controlled and operated mechanism for operatingsaid rod, and a lOSt-lIiOtlOIl connectingmeans between said mechanism and said operating I rod. c

2. A drawer'lockfor filing deviceswherein a cabinet .is provided with a pluralityof drawers,'comprising a lock member movably mounted in the cabinet" having a lockingicooperation with said drawers in one posltion,

a, bar member slidably mounted insaid cabinet, a link connecting said lock member and bar member, air-operating rod rotatably mounted in the cabinet, a'crank 'on said rod,

a link .piyotally mounted on the; free endof said crank and having a slotted portion, a p1non,said;bar memberengagedin the slotted portion of said crankandicooperating therew th to provide motion transmitting means between sald rod and said ba member h ving lost-motion, and a key controlled mecha nism for operating said rodmember.

3. drawer rlo ik for filling devices .wherei in a cabinet is provided with a plurality of J drawers, comprising a, lock member movabl mounted in the cabinet having locking coop ration with said drawers in one position, an operatingrod rotatablyimounted in the cabinet and. having connections for operating said k member in ,the, rotation the eof to lock" an unlock aid drawers, a'block.

member m unted in said cabinet, slotted member rotata-bly mounted in said block member, means connecting saidslotted Inem' her with said operating rod having lostemo- .tion thereimand key controlledmeans con trolling rotation of said slotted-member; in 1 said block memberl, h

.4; A drawer lock for filing devices wherein a cabinet is provided with a plurality of drawers, comprising a "lock member movably mounted in the cabinet having locking comotion, connecting mechanism between the 1 operating rod and said bar member for transmitting the rotary motion of said operat ng operation with said drawers in one posltion,

a bar member a slidably mounted in said cabinetfalink operably connecting said lock' member and bar member, an operating rod rotatably mounted in said cabinet, a lostrod to reciprocate said bar member, and operating means for rotating said operating IOd. r t W 5,. A drawer lock for filing devices whereina cabinet is provided with a plurality of drawers, comprising a lock member rockably mounted in said cabinet for locking movement into and out of drawer locking 'position,a bar member slidably mounted in said cabinet, a link 'operably connecting said bar member and adapted to rock said lock memer in the sliding movement of said barmember, an operating rod rotatably mounted in i 'said rod to slide saidbar member, and opthe cabinet, a crank and link connection between said operating rod and saidbar member for transmitting the rotary motion of crating means for said rod.

6. A drawerlock for filing devices wherein a cabinet is provided with a plurality of drawers, comprising an operating-rod 'rotat ably mounted in the cab1net,.drawer engagmg means in sald cablnet connected for operation by said rod in the rotation thereof to lock and unlock said drawers, a block member mounted in said cabinet,a slottedmember e rotatably mounted in said block member and having the opposite ends projecting beyond "the ends'of saidblock member, one end of ",said slotted member having an enlarged head engaging one-end of said block member, a

sleeve mounted on the opposite end of said slotted member engaging the opposite end of i i said block member and retainingsa-id slotted member against axial movement in said block member, said sleeve receiving the end of said f 1 operating rod, a pin and slot connection be- I, tween said sleeve and operating rod, and key signed my name.-

controlled means governing the operation of said slotted member.

' THOMAS HEELAN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,749,217. Granted March 4, 1930, to

THOMAS HEELAN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 16, claim 5, for the Word "locking" read "rocking"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of Aprii, A. D. 1939.

M. J. Moore,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

